Here are ten lottery winners who did things right and are still rich!
Smart Lottery Winner Number ten - Brad Duke and the Idaho State jackpot
In 2005, Idaho native Brad Duke grabbed the $220 million Idaho State jackpot.
Before winning his $220 million in the Idaho State Lottery, Brad worked as a manager for
Gold Gym in Treasure Valley.
More interested in lasting wealth than he was in buying some fancy supercar, Brad used
the jackpot money to make lucrative investments in gas, oil, real estate, and low-risk bonds.
Additionally, Brad started a $1.3 million family foundation.
In total, Brad's efforts have led to him more than doubling the cash jackpot that he won
years ago.
Smart Lottery Winner Number nine - Peter Lavery and the UK National jackpot.
In 1996, Peter Lavery reinvested his 10.2 million winnings in a whiskey distillery and
other properties.
Not your typical USA resident jackpot winner, Lavery lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland,
United Kingdom.
Coming from humble beginnings, prior to his 10.2 million National Lottery win in 1996,
his old job as a bus driver used to earn him less than $250 a week.
But it wasn't enough for Peter to simply make a wise financial investment; he decided to
expand his whiskey investment into a partnership with Cooley Whiskey Distillery and make the
Danny Boy brand.
Since then, Peter has gone on to more than triple his winning's worth and now has more
than 30 properties spread across Northern Ireland.
Smart Lottery Winner Number eight - Couple John and Lisa Robinson and their Powerball
Jackpot
In 2016 Munford, Tennessee natives John Robinson and his wife Lisa hit the Powerball jackpot
and took home $327.8 million.
Just as interesting as their own win is that they were actually one of three for the $1.58
billion payouts that came with that year's Powerball Jackpot, which is still the highest
amount on record.
Like every other lottery winner, they didn't actually get to keep all $327.8 million, but
even after taxes, the couple still came away with a hefty amount.
John and Lisa decided to invest in real estate and now live in a $6.2 million 10-bedroom
mansion on a property that also includes a private lake and a home theatre.
In contrast to many millionaires, particularly lottery winners, the Robinsons prefer to keep
a low-profile life and are still super-rich.
Smart Lottery Winner Number seven - Lerynne West and her Powerball jackpot
Lerynne West hit the Powerball jackpot in 2018 and walked home with $343.9 million.
A single mom of three from the United States, West used to work with an insurance company
before her big lottery win.
Similar to the Robinsons, West was not the sole winner of the $687.8 million Powerball
Jackpot.
She was one of two winners who took home $343.9 million before taxes.
Unlike most lottery winners, West decided to direct a good portion of her earnings towards
charity.
She donated $500,000 to the Travis Mills Foundation and established a charitable organization
called Callum Foundation.
Her charity continues to offer financial support to animal welfare, veteran affairs, health,
and education.
Quite a far cry from blowing it in Vegas, wouldn't you say?
So far, we have seen some pretty smart winners, but can it get smarter than this?
Maybe, so keep watching!
Smart Lottery Winner Number 6 - Jason Fry and his Florida jackpot
In 2007 Jason Fry scooped $14 million up from the Florida state jackpot.
He chose to invest in and become the owner of a successful battery business.
Like others on this list, Fry was not the sole winner of his jackpot - while he took
home $14 million, the total 2007 Florida jackpot was actually $47 million.
A bit more on the fun-loving side of winners, he bought his favorite car, had fun with his
friends, and then invested the rest.
Jason also went in on acquiring a Golf World 2 driving range with a partner.
On average, it annually generates about $300,000 in revenue.
But Fry wasn't done yet - he also acquired a Fort Myers-based BatteriesPlus store and
three others.
His batteries business alone has made him a household name in Florida, and Fry has even
more ambitious plans to expand and bring in more revenue.
Needless to say, Fry made his $14 million work far more for him than he did for it.
Smart Lottery Winner Number 5 - Yancy Hicks and his 2008 lottery win
Interestingly, while Yancy has one of the lowest actual winning lottery amounts on this
list, he still made the most he could get out of his comparably modest $1 million lottery
win.
He purchased and is now the proud owner of a Subway restaurant that earns him a stable
income.
It's not the state-spanning business empire that Jason Fry is building, but Yancy's investment
has still set him to continue earning passive income into the future.
Smart Lottery Winner Number 4 - Cynthia Stafford and her California lottery win.
After her $112 California Lottery win in 2007, Cynthia Stafford became a successful businesswoman
and philanthropist.
But it's crazy to think how it all came about.
On Mother's Day of 2007, a day she probably thought would be like any other, Cynthia woke
up the lucky winner of the California lottery.
She immediately shared some of it with her brother and father.
She invested the rest in real estate properties and her new business Queen Nefertari Productions
LLC.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Cynthia Stafford currently has an estimated net worth
of $10 million.
This past winner was definitely smart!
But don't think you have seen it all!
If you want to get the best ideas for when you win the lottery, make sure to pay close
attention to these last three winners.
Take notes and keep watching!
Smart Lottery Winner Number 3 - Mark Brudenell and his 1997 lotto jackpot
While less information is available for Mark and his wife Cheryl, this Sunderland couple
is perhaps the smartest of them all, given what they won.
Before winning 900,000 in February 1997, Mark was making ends meet as a chemical tanker
driver and a bakery manager.
After the money came through, he decided to invest it into setting up a double glazing
business that continues to bring in consistent profit well over 20 years later.
Smart Lottery Winner Number 2 - Sue Herdman and her 2010 lottery win
Working as a hairdresser when she won her 1.2 million lottery prize, Herdman proved
to be quite the intelligent- if unconventional -investor.
Herdman didn't indulge in any of the typical luxurious lifestyle choices of most jackpot
winners and instead decided to invest in pig farming.
Today, she owns a pig farm in northeast England and has over 7,000 pigs.
On average, about 1000 piglets are born weekly, a massive, far more reliable, and consistent
jackpot for her.
Smart Lottery Winner Number 1 - Richard Lustig and his multiple lottery wins
Certainly the most unique of all the smart lottery winners, Richard Lusting has scooped
up lottery cash prizes seven separate times.
And while it might seem like one of the strangest things to grow accustomed to, Lustig is rather
used to winning the lottery by this point.
Understandably, Lustig rose to fame during his seven lottery-winning stints that continued
from 1993 to 2010.
Somewhat curiously, his winnings alone reach are, in total, just $1 million.
But what made Lustig smart was how he utilized all the media exposure that came with his
fame in spreading the word once he wrote a book called Learn How To Increase Your Chances
of Winning the Lottery.
The number of copies he sold ended up actually earning him a net worth more than double his
total winnings.
So while he may not have won the most or ended up with the most money, it's hard to deny
Lustig's pure luck and resourcefulness.
All these winners are definitely smarter than the winners on our video of the DUMBEST Lottery
already.
You can click the video on the screen now to see these Dumb winners.
Until next time, stay wealthy, and I'll see you in the next video, millionaire!